This cartoon I saw
when I was eight
showed this guy losing his toupee
and then crying in spilt milk
(or something like that).
I swore, later on,
in the bathroom while doing some serious thinking
that if I ever lost my hair
I wouldn’t try to hide it
disguise it
or pretend it way anything other than
the bald truth.

I didn’t think it through
or remember how little hair my dad had
at the time.
and so, twenty years later
when I approached the inevitable
and saw my own scalp showing up,
I remembered my earlier oath
and, with a sigh,
took out the razor
and shaved it all
because otherwise
I would have made a liar
out of eight year old me.

Honesty is very important
perhaps because of some betrayal
in the womb
when mom promised me cookies and cake
for all of my days.
If I make a plan
or provide a promise
or use a word
rest assured
it was well-considered
and I will strive
to stick by it
lest I prove myself
anything less than consistent.

Keep this in mind
when you ask me if I love you
or invite me to a party next month
or wonder if we can hang in an hour.
I have to be careful
before I make a decision.
Before I speak,
I have to be sure.